November 30, 2000
November 30, 2000
SEOUL, KOREA-Ms. Youngja Shim, of Sungmin Promotion, announced that she would promote the WBC light flyweight title bout between Yosam Choi and ex-champ Saman Sorjaturong in Pyongyang, North Korea, on December 24. She ballyhooed it as the first world title bout ever staged in the Communist country.
The busy-punching Korean Choi, 22-1, 11 KOs, will make his mandatory defense against Sorjaturong, a hard-hitting Thailander with a mark of 45-3-1, 34 KOs, from whom he wrested the WBC belt on an upset verdict in Seoul on October 17 of the previous year. Since then Choi kept his title just once prior to the grudge fight.
People concerned in South Korea, however, still wonder if it will really materialize as announced. There are still many procedures necessary to obtain the governmental permissions of South and North Koreas.
Jose Sulaiman, the lately re-elected WBC president, is scheduled to attend this historical event, if really staged.
(11-30-00)
November 30, 2000
TOKYO, JAPAN-WBA lightweight champ Takanori Hatakeyama, 24-1-2, 19 KOs, decides to put his title on the line against #4 ranked Rick Yoshimura(right photo), 38-5-1, 20 KOs, at Ryogoku Sumo Arena, Tokyo, on Feburary 17.
Hatakeyama, 25, gained his second world throne, along with his previous WBA 130-pound belt, when he made a return to the ring warfare after a year layoff and dethroned Venezuelan Gilberto Serrano via a KO route last June. He impressively kept it by finishing highly regarded compatriot Hiroyuki Sakamoto within the distance.
The 35-year-old Rick Yoshimura, who had been married with Ms. Yoshimura, served at US military base camps in Japan and stayed here until he was moved to Florida by the governmental order this June. Rick, a New Yorker whose real name is Frederick Roberts, lately kept his Japanese light title 22 times to his credit to establish the national record.
Many aficionados have been as eager to have Rick given a title shot at Hatakeyama’s world crown as the US military worker. People’s wishes came true thanks to Hatakeyama’s manager Kazunori Miyakawa, who gave a special gift to the veteran campaigner.
(11-30-00)